Autumn Colors on the Pine Trees

 When I looked out of the bedroom window this morning this was what I saw. I had never noticed that the pine needles seemed to change the same way that the leaves do. You can tell that of the different types of pine trees at least three of them have some rust color to them. Greens and rusts are some of my favorite colors. 

Today I took the time to sit at the Lendrum to do some plying. I am plying 4 oz. of Into the Whirled fiber that I purchased a couple of years ago at Maryland Sheep and Wool with some Wild Hare Seronghetti colored fiber that was also a couple of years ago at the same show. This is not the best picture. 

I do like how it is turning out. It is about a fingering weight that reminds me of the Stonehedge Fiber Mill's Crazy yarn. I think it will make a great sweater!

Hello....... Hello....... Are you there?

 It has been a long while since I sat down at the computer to post on this here blog. Time and commitments seem to take over life sometimes which is what has been happening around here. I'm still plugging away at schooling with one class a semester. There is an end in sight. Just not for another year.

I've been knitting. I know that is a shocker. Knitting is what gets me through reading textbooks, watching videos for school and just relaxing when I have a few minutes. I have so many WIPs that I am slowly working my way through. I'm tired of having so many projects on the go and have decided it is time to finish some of them.

This hat is one that I completed last February but didn't get the pompom on it until just this past Sunday. I really like how the pompom turned out---the hat also. But to me the pompom really makes the hat.

Make it a great day and include some knitting.

Time for a Sweater

In September I signed up for the Sweaters That Fit A-Z class offered at Nature's Yarns.  I have knit sweaters before, but they don't usually turn out just right. There is usually something that I don't really like about the sweater, either it is too loose, too long, or the underarms don't quite fit right. I thought it was high time I figured out how to make a sweater that really fits me. 

The instructor wanted us to use a sweater pattern that was in pieces. I really like raglan shaped sweaters and I like to do all the knitting at once, so a pieced sweater was going to be a challenge for me. I found the Lapse pattern in a booklet I had. I didn't have any Lustra yarn, it's been discontinued. I did have some Bergereine in the Rotin colorway by Bergere de France which I had in my stash and I thought I would have enough. I got about the same gauge as the Lustra and thought I really need to use what I have. 

I used four of the eleven skeins I have for this back piece. That means I won't have enough to finish the sweater. Off to the internet to see if I could find this same yarn. Of course, I know it isn't going to be the same dye lot, but I really want to use this yarn. I found the yarn. The dye lot is different, but the color isn't too far off. I decided what I am going to do is use the new yarn for the sleeves. I have enough of the old dye lot to do the back (pictured) and the front, as well as the neckband. 

If you can see in the upper right corner of the picture, I am using locking stitch markers to keep track of every twenty rows and each of the decreases so that my front and back will be the same length from shoulder to ribbing. I really am liking the way this is knitting up.

The knitting has actually gone really quickly. I am about half way through the knitting of the front piece. I plan on knitting both sleeves at the same time, so that when they are completed I can start putting everything together.

I decided I needed to start finishing some of my UFOs and this sweater will be the first one. Then I can start digging out the other three sweaters and get them completed one at a time, hopefully before the end of the year. Too many UFOs! I will keep you updated on my progress.

Knitting Has Been Happening

Knitting Has Been Happening

I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I have just been busy going back to school working on my Bachelor's degree (one class each semester so far), full time work, part time work, lots of knitting, and some traveling.

Color Affection

 I finished this Color Affection shawl for a friend who moved from our area. This is the second time I made this pattern and this time I really liked it. It turned out nicer than the first one and it is so soft. I am hoping that it will keep this friend warm as winter will set in out in Utah before very long.

I used Woolike yarn from Michael's for this shawl. I was surprised at how soft and wonderful it felt as it is an acrylic and nylon blend. In fact, I liked the yarn so much, I went back and bought enough to make a lightweight sweater or two for myself.

Ashton

 I knit this Ashton shawl by Dee O'Keefe for another friend who moved to California. This was a fun knit. The pattern didn't have beads on it, but I thought some little purple beads would look so pretty on this shawl. I really like how it turned out and I would like to make myself one, probably without the bead though. The beading slowed the knitting down quite a bit.

This shawl was knit with a Zauberball lace which is a single ply. I don't really like to work with single plies, but this one wasn't bad at all. I might even succumb and purchase another ball one day soon to make a really large shawl for someone else. The beads were some that I had in my stash from a project many years ago. I only used one tube of beads, so I still have another full tube left in the stash.

H's Modig

 This little vest, the Modig, was made for our twelfth grandchild. It is made with Paton's Encore yarn which I picked up at Second Story Knits in Bethesda during the Metro Yarn Crawl in April. In fact, I started this little vest the night I bought the yarn. I only had a week to make it before flying out to meet this new little baby. I love how the blue and green car buttons just fit the vest. Perfect for a little boy.

Truth be told, this is the second Modig I made. I also made one out of stashed Luna yarn for my niece's baby who is about the same age as "H" but much smaller. My niece says her little one can probably wear this when she is five.

Maryland Sheep and Wool 2016

May brought the Maryland Sheep and Wool show. I loved going this year. I probably spent more money than I should have, but I found some wonderful things. I found that the jumbo flyer for an Ashford Kiwi will fit my Ashford Scholor, so I bought the jumbo flyer and can now get a larger skein when plying.

I found I really like Turkish spindles and I found a couple of really nice ones. I also replaced my Trindle. My first Trindle's arm don't stay in very well, they keep flying off when spinning which is very annoying. I like the new Tridle, it spins very nicely. I also bought some yarn: Ella Rae worsted in a pine green and Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in a pumpkiny color. I also bought one hank of fingering weight yarn from Dragonfly Fibers in their show colorway.

I have lots of new projects, lots of UFOs, and projects in the planning stages. I am hoping that getting back into blogging will help keep me accountable and give me a goal to get some things finished as I would like to share my progress on all these yarny pursuits.

Happy knitting and spinning.

Sewing and Socks

Box Bags

I have been bitten by the sewing bug lately.  Since the first of January I have made eleven of these box bags in assorted sizes.  I have found the size I like to sew best is a 10 x 10 inch square.  I have given a few away and have four being used carrying my current projects.  I have also placed some of them in my gift box to use as gifts.

I have also started sewing a quilt top using the leftover flannel from all the pajamas I have made in the past twenty years.  I have a LOT of left over flannel.  There might even be enough to do quilt tops for all the kids eventually.  This is a cleaning out the stash project.

Lynette's Socks

 Two weeks ago this past Monday, I asked DH if he wanted me to make something for his sister's birthday.  He flew out to her party as a surprise and I really didn't want him to go empty handed.  He said that would be nice and I asked if socks would be appreciated.  He thought they would be very much loved.  So I went stash diving and came up with a skein that he thought Lynette would like.  Next was a phone call to Mom to find out the shoe size and off I was going.

The first sock was started on Monday, January 21 and completed on the next Sunday.  The second sock was cast on that Sunday and finished Friday, February 1 in the late p.m.  DH caught his plane Saturday morning and the socks were on his sister's feet by that night.

View of the Cable

The pattern I used was Socks on a Plane.  I really liked the pattern and it worked up really quickly.  I couldn't knit on this in the car, because of the cabling, but every night for an hour or so and it was enough.  I will definitely make these socks again, but probably in a more solid color.

Happy knitting and spinning.

Simple Hat

 I was asked in September if I would help in making some hats and/or scarves for some missionaries serving in our area.  I ended up making two scarves and two hats.  They were my "in car" knitting projects for a couple of months.  I gave the last hat to the Sister collecting the items about two weeks ago, but had to take a picture first of this hat.  I love how the top of the hat turned out!  The first picture is truer to the actual color, but the bottom picture shows the crown of the hat.  This was a simple two by two ribbing knit for about nine inches and then I did the decreases.  I wrote everything down before giving the hat away and I'm hoping I can replicate how I did everything.  Only time will tell.

Top of hat.

I have two baby afghans I've been working on.  One should be at the first granddaughter's house this week.  When I have confirmation that they have received the afghan I will post a picture.  I think it turned out cute.  The second afghan is almost finished also and when that one is at the second granddaughter's I will show pictures of it.

Christmas knitting has commenced.  I am hoping I will get it done in time.  I am not knitting something for everyone in the family this year.  They will all get something homemade, just not knitting.

Off to get some more knitting done.  Happy knitting and spinning.

Ten On Tuesday

Ten on Tuesdays

Carole says the Ten on Tuesday topic this week is 10 Things on my Mind Right Now.  That shouldn't be too hard.

1.  There are only 54 days left in this year!!  How did that happen?

2.  I really need to get the baby gift for E and A's new baby sent.  Our first grand-daughter is now two months old and I haven't even sent her gift yet.  It is already to go.  I just have to put it in a box and take it to the post office.

3.  I really should get back into blogging.  I have so many projects finished or in progress that I could talk about.

4.  I'm really glad I voted this morning and didn't wait until on the way home tonight.  Traffic was really crappy tonight.

5.  I'm not really ready for cold weather.  Although it is nice to wear all my hand-knit sweaters.  I have two I want to make right now, but those will have to wait until 'have-to' knitting is complete.

6.  I wish there was less clutter in our house.  One goal for next year--clear the clutter in the house.

7.  Isn't it true that there is always job stuff to worry about.

8.  I sure wish I could find more time at the spinning wheels right now.  There is so much fiber to be spun and it's all fun to spin.

9.   Seven Tuesdays from today it is Christmas day.

10.  Pictures, pictures.  I need to clear the memory card on the camera.

11.  I'm glad I get to take walks with the handsome man in the picture below.

Taking a walk across the new bridge to see how much water Sandy left us with.